The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-01-08
UNcLEAN MIXERS.
A Few Of the Most Prominent Sources
Evil Flavors in Milk.

A Few Of the Most Prominent Sources of
Evil Flavors in MILK.
The sources of bad favors in milk
are more potent in winter than at other
times. They occur in the feed, in musty
fodder, in weeds cured with the hay, in
the water, and in the lack of it. These
are really minor troubles, but with
plenty OF pure water, many i'll flavors
are, SO to speak, washed out, SO that
the poor fodder does not do so much
harm.
To secure an abundance of milk tho
stables must be warm. Cows crowded in
the stables keep one another warm, but
the air often becomes foul, and close
stables and bad air have a bad effect
upon the cows, though their general
health may apparently not be affected
yet the milk will have less of good
flavor if not a positive taint. The milk,
however, gets taint at the time it is
drawn, especially if milked into open
pals, as is usually done.
If the cows are well cleaned, their
udders thoroughly clcansed and their
sides well brushed, the evil is greatly
reduced. If, however, they are care
lessly and untidily MIXED, the taint, in.
part absorbed from the air, is greatly
added to. The cows may have lain in
their own filth, the mixer hastily
brushes off the teat with one hand, hold
ing his pail very likely half full of milk
behind him with the other He draws
little milk into his hand and moistens
the filthy teats, and then goes on with
his milking. The milk fOams in tho
pail and, before the milking is over, the
foam is thickly peppered with particles
OF dust and dry dung, good deal of
which with every squirt is buried in the
milk. He keeps his hands moist with
milk, and the black drops from them
show like ink drops upon the white
froth.
Then the milk is strained, probably
through the single coarse wire guaze
strainer in the nozzle of the pail. Where
is the sweet butter to come fromp
The bottoms of the pans or coolers will
show dark specks by the spoonful. Even
the bottoms of the pitchers in which the
skim-milk is placed upon the table will
show filth enough to turn delicate
stomach, and the good people actually
wonder where the cowy taste can come
from. In fact there are those who asso-
ciate this cowy taste with milk to that
degree that they get fond of it and miss
it in pure milk in blissful ignorance
that the flavor they miss is that of dis
solved cow manure.
If the skim-milk takes up and is per-
vaded by the flavor. what about the
creamp This, like most other oils, in
fact, pre-eminently among oils, absorbs
all taints and odors. Where, then, we
ask, is well-tlavored butter to come
fromP Certainly not out of such
milk. These facts are not overdrawn.
Thank Providence and habit of cleanli-
ness among some farmer folks, there is
winter milk free from these taints-
largely If not wholly free. Still there
is carelessness enough to make the win
ter butter of common farmers the coun-
try through dreadfully poor stuff. It is
not all spoilt by the carelessness of the
country storekeepers who got such a
showing up at Chicago. There is an
old saying that lit is hard to spoil q
bad egg" There is butter which even
proximity to Goldfish and bacon and
Kerosene to boot can not spoil.
The picture we have drawn of dirty
mixers is absolutely true to life. We
have seen 1t, and more. have MIXED in
the same stable.
Dirt in the bottoms Of pans and cool
ers ought to make dairy folks blush.
They argue that it can not be helped.
Last week only we saw it in the bottom
OF pitcher OF milk ON our own table.
The mixer was discharged. We have
done our own milking since. and will
challenge any body to find dirt In the
milk cans now.-American DairuBaa,,.
AFTER the slyeeta .f ,nor,,io.l Iifa A.